由粵XI

中國，以1.3十億個人和興旺的經濟，是不可抗拒的對多數美國公司。 但夢想不做現實-多年來許多設法揭開中國市場的奧秘和許多發生了故障。 如果您與嘗試了的公司談話，包括某些受尊敬的公司在美國，反應是不可避免地「它是非常困難的」。 困難超出出現，當做生意國外，例如在語言、文化、章程等等上時的區別的典型的問題範圍。 在中國，有更多對它。

這些區別變得明顯對我，當我在中國的越來越花費了時間做生意和亞洲其他地區，在過去五年期間。 我幸運我感到舒適在兩文化-我出生在中國，但我家移居到美國，當我是在初中，并且我緊接著成為了美國公民。

如此，從我的經驗，這西部公司必須面對是成功的五令人不快的真相。

1. 漢語不遵循規則-，并且實際上，將顯示發現辦法的極大的機巧在他們附近。 下次您訪問中國，正義步行下來到一塊擁擠的街角落和手錶什麼展開。 當然，除非有站立在角落的警察沒人將注意紅綠燈或標誌。

如此當心簽署契約協定。 American companies have an almost religious belief in legal contracts, such as Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). With their typical hubris, American companies expect Chinese companies to sign NDAs written in English, and enforceable in US courts. Chinese companies are happy to oblige, unlike for example Japanese companies. On the positive side, they want to get down to business as soon as possible and can’t understand why Western companies waste so much time conferring with their lawyers. On the negative side, Chinese companies generally never have any intention of actually honoring the agreement.

2. Chinese will copy anything. As part of their frantic drive to overcome the disasters of the 20th century, Chinese thirst for knowledge. They take pride in learning how to do new things, and duplicating them quickly and cheaply. There is very little respect for intellectual property - either from the West or home grown. A typical saying among Chinese is that “once we figure out how to make something, we will never buy it from you again.”

What that means for Western companies is that the Chinese will be very humble at first and will ask for training sessions to help with “knowledge transfer.” Once they get a product, they will take it apart piece by piece and figure out exactly how it works. There is nothing surprising about that - there is a long and rich history of reverse engineering in Silicon Valley - its a cornerstone of good engineering. But Chinese do it with the full intention of copying the product - and any parts that they can’t copy they will try to clone or buy locally.

3. The trap of joint ventures. Chinese love doing joint ventures with foreign companies and will tell you how profitable its going to be for both parties. Their logic is compelling - the Western company provides the cash and know-how, the Chinese company provides access to the local market and cheap labor. But want to know the real reasons Chinese love joint ventures? Its three fold. First, they get access to Western technology. Second, they get an infusion of cash overseas. Third, they get a nice tax break from the Chinese government. Needless to say, almost all joint ventures fail.

4. Expectations of high margins. When doing business in Chinese, most American companies expect to make the same profit margin as they do at home. Hah! This muddled thinking causes their products to be many times more expensive than local products. And it doesn’t take much insight to figure out that is not the path to success.

Even accepting lower profit margins, American products will still be more expensive than local products. Chinese companies have lower cost structures, and in extreme cases, can compete by giving away products for free and making up the revenue via services. And American companies simply cannot compete on services since labor costs are so much cheaper in China. So to succeed, you must offer a superior product that is worth its additional cost, but you must accept the fact you will not make the same margins in China as in the United States.

5. Last, and I hate to be so blunt, but the brutal truth is that most Chinese consider Americans stupid. Another Chinese saying sums it up nicely - “Taiwanese are old fashioned, Hongkonese are heartless and Americans are stupid.” Of course, they’ll never tell that to your face. In fact, many Americans love doing business in China because the Chinese will entertain them in a way that they’ve never experienced in the US. But don’t believe you are becoming friends, you are not.

Obviously, there are host of other issues you’ll run into, but these are the ones that have really struck me.

Yue Xi, Yue’s Yappings